As a father of four and grandfather of five, and as someone keenly interested in the state of our nation, I got to thinking about what a future Romney administration (or two) might offer. Like so many others in Rockville Centre, I am concerned about the America our children and their kids will inherit. Reviewing the Republican platform and its candidate’s pronouncements left me concerned.

Scuttling health care for tens of millions, including our children in their early 20s who are living at home and our parents in nursing homes, seems indefensible. While a policy of “deregulation” may look bold and liberating, has recent history encouraged us to place much faith in the motives and actions of an unregulated private sector? Why put the water we drink, the air we breathe and the food we consume at risk?

Do we really want food assistance and student loans to be cut sharply, along with unemployment benefits and research funding, even as the defense budget swells? A Romney administration would surely encourage additional cutbacks in federal and state employees and continue the pressure on public service workers and their unions.

Meanwhile, the Republican social agenda will gain momentum and threaten the advances made by women (a troubling situation, as I have three daughters and four granddaughters) and other groups long marginalized. Appointments to the higher federal bench, including the Supreme Court, will lock in a mindset that is out of step with a majority of Americans.

Romney and the Republicans strongly imply that our society (and by extension, the world) could benefit from a heavy dose of tough love. Romney’s policies will assuredly be tough on tens of millions of Americans — actually even more if we consider the implications of his “47 percent” remarks. On the other hand, try finding anything like love, caring or compassion in his proposals.

There’s good reason to be concerned about the future no matter who wins. Still, to my mind, Governor Romney’s proposals represent a disturbing step backward, and cannot bring us to the place where we need to be.